"Change is the law of life. And those who look only to the past or present are certain to miss the future." John F. Kennedy
A/N: I don't own any of the Criminal Minds characters, plot, etc. all belong to CBS
Jade POV
The first full week of May was a slow one at the BAU. Hotch planned it that way, in order for me to complete my finals over at George Washington University without detracting from the workload. The rest of the team was busy working on paperwork and reports that invariably fall behind despite their best efforts. I told Hotch he didn't have to make such an allowance on my account, I could easily catch up once my finals were completed, but he insisted. He really does think of everything and care deeply about everyone on the team, even the unofficial member, me. Also, as far as I could tell, Cruz was starting to get on his ass about the late reports again, so I didn't press the issue to hard. I didn't get much sleep done Sunday through Wednesday, I was too stressed over my finals, I didn't even allow myself the distraction of seeing Spence knowing we wouldn't get as much studying done as I needed to devote to ensure full marks.
It is Wednesday just after lunch and I am heading into the J. Edgar Hoover building after completing my last final, sipping my third vanilla latte for the day. I plan on heading directly into Garcia's office cave as she somehow always has her paperwork and reports completed, and she was texting me all morning waiting for someone to chat with. In fact, as I approach the front door, I feel my phone buzz in my back pocket, and I am sure it is another text from her, her many trackers telling her I was finally on the premises. I smile, glad I had the opportunity to befriend such a great woman and have her call me a friend. I flash the security guard my intern badge and my best smile as I walk by.
As I turn down the hall which holds the elevator bay, I notice a hurried and distracted Rossi darting into the far elevator and I call out to him, to hold the elevator for me. I rush down the hallway, heels clicking on the immaculate tile, and onto the elevator, which I see is empty aside from Rossi who is straightening his suit jacket over his crisp white button up and denim jeans. The typical outfit he wears when working the field and not wanting to appear too haughty. Not what he wears in the office when he shows up and shows off.
I glance up to his face and immediately notice something is wrong. He doesn't have that glint in his eye that he normally flashes with his lopsided grin when we are in the same space. Thinking fast, I quickly realize what day today is, Wednesday, yes, but it is May 7th. Rossi's birthday, also known as the day he must visit Tommy Yates to receive the location of yet another victim. I slip into the elevator and take his hand without thinking, comforting my friend.
"Dave, I'm so sorry. You shouldn't have gone there alone." I say as a greeting, looking up to him once more.
"You have nothing to apologize for, piccolina mia.*" Dave replies roughly, squeezing my hand as I rub circles into the back of his hand with my thumb, soothing him just as he did to me in that garage in New York "It is my burden to bear. No one else deserves to go through that torment just because Yates is the ultimate sadist." He continues, finally meeting my eyes, the sorrow deepening. It cannot be easy to do that every year, ruin his birthday for this man to get his rocks off dragging this out.
"What does that make you? His bitch or a martyr? Dave, you don't always have to be the tough guy, we are a team." I ask, trying to rile him enough to get that sorrow to dissipate.
"Piccolina mia, let me be clear, I am no ones bitch. I caught the bastard, I get to deal with his yearly torture." Rossi explains, the sorrow lessening the tiniest bit and his mouth almost approaching a smile.
"Fine, be a tortured soul. I am still sorry you have to deal with him. I hope those families are able to finally find peace. When do you tell them? Or did you already notify someone?" I ask, truly curious about his unwilling yearly ritual.
"Me too, piccolina, me too. That is the only reason I keep showing up." Dave, still looking down to me, some of the weariness and defeat easing from his dark brown eyes, finally, melting back into the usual warmth. I smile softly at him as the elevator door opens to the bullpen and we part, heading our separate ways. He stalks up to his office and I peel off towards Garcia's so she finally stops texting me.
As soon as I walk in the door, Garcia wraps me in a warm hug and she catches me up on any gossip from the last 2.5 days, and of course shares some lovely guava turnovers from some special bakery in town. Around 4pm when people start leaving the office, JJ stops in and reminds me, our cycling class is tonight and we can finally make it. Our work schedules lead us to working out in the hotel gyms more often than the gyms we have memberships at.
I arrive at the gym an hour later and quickly change into my go to workout outfit, hot pink bike shorts, matching sports bra, grey over-sized tank and my pink, grey and orange sneakers. I pull up my long hair into a high ponytail and grab my big water bottle before heading to the cycling room on the far side of the gym, finding an open bike next to JJ. She looked great in her orange shorts, white tank and a bright tie-dye sports bra showing underneath.
"Damn, JJ, you're looking hot. New sports bra? I love it!" I compliment her outfit as the class fills up with other similarly dressed ladies around our age. Too soon the instructor begins the class and we are breathing too heavily to talk more. The playlist is upbeat and fun, which amps me up but I struggle to keep up with the pace. I really need to work on making it to the gym more often if I am going to the FBI Academy classes this fall. Their PT requirements are pretty tough. Not like military training, but close.
During a drink break, we do manage a quick chat, and she asks me about Spence. I tell her about the shower and how I suspect he's a virgin or at least very, very inexperienced.
"No way! Awe, how adorable..." JJ gushes, contemplating that information and dabbing the sweat from her forehead.
"Yes way. He kept apologizing after he came. Like that wasn't part of the goal of showering with him in the first place" I admit before I take a long drink from my water bottle. Before JJ can form a reply the instructor started our class back up for the second half of ass kicking cycling.
The next day, Thursday, May 8th, I return to the office bright and early and help JJ pass out reports and file various things within the BAU. Truly, the bureau wastes more paper in a week than I thought was even produced in an entire year. Around 10 am Hotch calls me into his office. Instantly, I get a knot deep in the pit of my stomach, but I don't know why. Everyone loves me on the team and Hotch is a very fair, yet disciplined boss.
"This case looks compelling, what do you think, Jade?" Hotch asks as I walk into the office and shut the door. I turn to see him offering a case file to me.
"What do I think? Sir?" I ask as I walk to his desk, take the file, flip open the folder, look at the first page, and then up to him.
"Yes, Jade, remember it is part of the job as Media and Communication Liaison to help decide what cases are presented to the team." Hotch reminds me, smiling softly and leaning back into his desk chair. He sweeps his arm indicating to the other chair and then to the couch in his office, offering me a seat to properly look at the case file.
"Sorry, Hotch. I don't know why I forgot but it totally slipped my mind, especially since I was so focused on my finals the last few days." I apologize, babbling, feeling ashamed that I forgot something so basic. I have been prepping so much and then taking my finals, I must have completely forgot everything else. Absolutely everything else.
"That is fine, no need to apologize. How do you think your finals went?" Hotch asks, interested in my life, earnest in his question and demeanor.
"Well enough, I think. The grades should be posted on Monday." I say, smiling back to him before returning my attention to the task at hand. I will prove to my supervisor how dedicated I am to this team. No more forgetting the basics.
As I read, Hotch asks if it looks like a BAU case or something the local police can continue handling. The case, the more I read it, looks very complicated. Six Homeless people in Tennessee have gone missing from their shelter where they volunteer as well as partake in the services. Then two counties east of them, that county sponsored homeless shelter caught on fire and was destroyed.
"Are the missing homeless people related to the other shelters fire?" I ask, trying to make sense of the mess of files and reports resting on my lap.
"Dental records of the six homeless people match, as well as a few very unique and identifiable belongings found in the ash and rubble match the homeless. The evidence at the fire supports arson as the cause. One of the missing and presumed dead homeless people is famous, or rather infamous, in the first town for stirring the pot and calling to attention the poor conditions for local homeless people. He has filed claims against the police department and mayor due to poor police coverage, very limited resources, slow or no response to 911 calls in the areas frequented by the homeless, no to little follow up with reported crimes, murders and rapes going unsolved and often uninvestigated." Hotch replies, looking torn between agreeing with the mans cause and feeling annoyed like there were better ways to bring attention to his plight. I wonder how often he is caught in the middle? Surely life is not always black and white, I know. This is unquestionably a difficult job.
"Whoa. So is it an inside thing to take the spotlight off the police department and local government?" I question, thinking what that could mean. Could the police be responsible for causing this case?
"I wouldn't be able to say at this point, but it is likely. You are very astute, has anyone ever mentioned it to you?" Hotch asks, impressed expression clear to read on his serious face.
"I believe you did on my interview, Hotch." I remind him, smiling and shaking my head a bit. I know he remembers saying that during the interview, he had the same expression that day as well. "Well my observation appears to be correct. You are a very bright young woman." He replies, his eyes glinting and warm honey tones showing, which I noticed was a very rare tell of how pleased he is.
"Thank you sir. You as well. Um. Very bright man, I mean." He smiles at me, a genuine and warm smile, and returns his attention to the case file in front of me, indicating for me to continue reading, there is more on further pages, "What do you think of the same thing in the opposite side of the state?" He asks after I get to read the rest of the file.
"It looks almost exactly the same. Only there are just four missing and presumed dead homeless people in the two county north fire at the other homeless shelter. Is there another instance of one of the homeless people speaking out?" I inquire, trying to see the pattern.
"No, I don't believe there is an instigator or outspoken person involved in this case." He replies, sipping some amber liquid from a small crystal glass. Tea or liquor, I will never know because I will never ask, never lose my temper with him. I continue to read the case, it looks like all the information was faxed on hospital letterhead, and I bring this up to Hotch.
"Yes, very good eye, Jade. This case was sent to us from the ME, which is based in the hospital morgue. That sometimes happens in smaller towns or rural locations, the ME is located in a small basement wing in the hospital. Since the instigator/agitator in the first case has filed claims against the mayor, the ME feels like this might be a cover up and asked for our assistance. Also, the mayor of the second town sent an official invite. He definitely feels like the fires are related." Hotch explains, pinching the bridge of his nose.
"Are you saying this is our next case?" I ask, closing the file and standing up, approaching his desk.
"Are you? This is your next assignment, Jade. Look over these two other files and let me know what you think. I have some more of my own paperwork I would like to attend to." Hotch answers simply, instructing me.
"Yes sir, thank you." I say as I step closer to take the two files from him.
"JJ and Garcia will be able to assist you with any questions you may have in the meantime. Also, please do continue to be discrete with Reid." He says simply and casually as I walk to the door.
Mortified, my heart stops. "Wh-wh-who else knows? How d-d-do you know?" I stutter, hand on the door but I force myself to turn, to face my supervisor, blushing deeply.
He gives me a very knowing look for a moment, "I believe I am the only one. No one from the team has mentioned it to me and I haven't heard any whispers. If you wish to pursue a career with the BAU after graduation this August, you would have to fully disclose the relationship, and Cruz might reassign you to a different department or at the very least a different team." Hotch replies, stern and serious once more.
Taking a deep breath and finding my voice, "I'll keep that in mind, Sir." I open the door and look around the bullpen to my coworkers. If Hotch knows and JJ could guess in Miami, who else knows? Do they all know?
I close the office door and head to my desk, a few eyes on me which quickly flutter away, back to their desks and mountains of paper work. I look over to Spencer who didn't even seem to notice me walking past. I dig into the second file, which is coming to us from Indianapolis. It concerns five local baseball coaches who are missing. Their wives all have received identical voicemail messages, as did the superintendents of their respective school districts. The file states the voicemails are identical, aside from the name of the wives and superintendents, schools and team being used. They all sound hollow and disconnected, like they are exhausted and reading a script.
The message the wife receives states "I am leaving you, my new girlfriend Ashley is everything you are not. I never knew what love was until I saw it reflected in her eyes while we would spend romantic dinners together sipping wine. Don't expect any child support, any further communication, [wife name]. We are catching a plane and heading to a remote island in the tropics and I don't even think they have electricity. I'm never coming back to this dump and this waste of a marriage."
Similarly generic, but not at all the same intent, the superintendent message is "I quit. I am deeply sorry I couldn't finish the season with our [team name]. You know how dedicated I am to the sport of baseball and taking us, [school name], to the championship, but it just isn't in the cards this year. An amazing opportunity has arisen. Again, I am so sorry."
Both messages are always completely out of character for the coaches, who are all very devoted husbands and fathers, very involved in their families and communities. Each of the wives have zero reason to suspect cheating. The schools are also quite surprised, the coaches are dedicated and give themselves 100% to the team and any teaching duties. These coaches are all upstanding members of the community. The case file contains several photos of the missing men, and in every one, they all look to be happy and good men. Not the kind of men to just leave on a whim. Abandon wives, children, work and community responsibilities. What is really going on here? Who is behind this?
Unsettled, I take a deep breath and move on to the third file. I read, concentrating completely on the facts presented to me, the photos, every detail. This case concerns a group of thru-hikers on the Appalachian Trail, heading northward. The group hasn't had any contact with anyone for 4 weeks, since checking in at Fontana Dam in North Carolina, near the border to the Great Smoky Mountains NP. They haven't stopped in any of the towns to replenish supplies, haven't contacted family members, which they were in the habit of doing every 5-10 days. They would call home from some store or restaurant while in town filling up on supplies and fresh water.
The group of friends is relatively experienced, having completed many long hikes together, including the Appalachian Trail going southbound the previous year, and it consists of 3 men and 2 women between the ages of 22 and 27. By all accounts they should not be lost on the trail. They know what they are doing, they have been doing this for years. The section of the Appalachian Trail from the Great Smoky Mountains to Shenandoah in the north is known to be very rural, but there are still enough places that they should have been able to make contact well before this 4 week mark. The local police, game wardens and national park rangers have all been searching for the group, to no avail. Not a single piece of evidence that the 5 young adults even passed through, let alone a piece of gear or DNA to be found in the entire search area.
Since this part of the trail could have them in North Carolina, where they last made contact, Tennessee or Virginia, where the trail heads to the north, they have asked the BAU to step in and help locate them. After the files and information, there are a few photos of the group on various hikes as well as photos of the terrain and two detailed maps. Very wild. Remote. A brief bio of each person in the group reads a lot like some of my friends. Very active and into the outdoors. Hikers and "granola lovers" as Jenna calls us. Looking again at the photos of the trail in this region, I am drawn to how wild and untouched it is. Trees as far as the eye can see, rolling hills giving way to steep mountains and rocky scree. I can easily see how people could go missing, but if they have been experienced hikers, I'd hope they had some sense to stay on the trail. Chill runs down my spine. What could have happened to these young adults? These friends who could easily be me and my best friends, I keep seeing more similarities and it breaks my heart. I hope they can be found in one piece.
This case did nothing to settle my nerves, in fact they are so frayed and rattled I wonder how anyone can do this job and not lose their mind. Each case is pressing and important, each case looks like we could be helping them. Its like the cases went from bad to worse to crushingly terrible. It is about noon, so I spot JJ and ask her for a hand with the task I was given by Hotch.
"Sure, lets get lunch and meet at our spot" She replies and heads to the latte machine.
Eating paninis from the cafeteria and sipping our lattes in the corner of the bullpen used for lunches, I very briefly and succinctly describe the three cases and tell her what Hotch wants me to do, how he wants me to decide which case the BAU will take on next.
"Well, Jade, what do you think? Which case sounds most important to you?" JJ asks, taking a big bite of her toasted sandwich.
"I think all three are important and the BAU should be involved. I definitely think I'll be having a nightmare tonight. I don't know if there is any sort of criteria you use to rank or any kind of hierarchy for different sorts of cases." I tell her between bites.
"Its basically a gut feeling. Hotch has a more technical term for it, I'm sure, but basically it is just going on gut feelings. Obviously, cases where people are in imminent danger, serial and spree killers, are more important than where the murders already happened and we are just looking for the UNSUB. Cold cases are the bottom of the hierarchy." JJ explains to me.
"I see, that makes sense. How many open cases do we normally have? Is three a lot for Hotch to be looking at?" I ask, wiping some cheese off my cheek after a particularly large bite.
"Honestly, it depends. Sometimes the incoming bin is empty. Sometimes there are two dozen cases begging for our attention. Other times we get referred cases that should really be sent to HRT, ECAP, IRT or some other department and once it is reviewed, we immediately forward it to the correct unit chief."
"So how can you decide? What makes one case more important than the others? Most importantly, how do I chose? I don't want Hotch to think I messed up. Or regret choosing me as an intern."
"Jade, go with your gut. You are a smart and capable person. You know what you are doing. I think Hotch trusts your judgment more than you do. Don't doubt yourself."
"Thanks JJ. You are so good at giving advice. I'm glad we can talk like this and that you are my mentor."
JJ smiles "Thanks Jade, I am always here to help. I know how overwhelming it can be to be the youngest and newest on the team."
We finish our sandwiches while chatting about Henry and his new tricycle.
Aaron POV
It's precisely noon and my office door opens, my best friend Rossi walks on in with some leftover pasta for the two of us to share. He knows I don't like taking my lunch early, so he often waits until the clock ticks to 12 noon on the dot before bringing whatever treat he wants to share. Often he has lunch in my office, or I go over to his, in order to talk through some things concerning the team, recent cases, cold cases or pending ones. Or sometimes we just bullshit and relax. Rossi seems distracted today, he keeps looking out the blinds into the bullpen. Finally, I follow his glance and I realize he has been staring at Jade. Too much. It is time for me to remind him he is an old man and she is 24. I am the boss. AND there are those rules the bureau has just because he cannot keep his dick to himself. Let's try the polite route first. I take a deep breath before I begin, reining in my composure.
"Dave, I think you need to give up. She's in love, can't you see that?" I say soft but stern.
"Hmm?" Dave says, shaking his head as he looks back at me, his face a careful mask of neutrality. Good, a butting of heads and stubbornness. Perhaps we are too stubborn to be friends.
"Jade. You can't still be infatuated with her. It's been almost two months and you are still staring at her like a lovesick teenager." I continue.
"I am not a lovesick teenager. I'm definitely not infatuated." Dave denies, leaning back in the chair and turning a critical eye over me. As if I have an ulterior motive.
"Dave. You and I both know that is a lie. I've seen you drool after her since the day she interviewed. I've let it go on this long because I know she can take care of herself, but do you really think it is prudent for you to be treating her this way? She is 24 after all. You probably have shoes older than she is."
"What way is that, Aaron? I thought we were supposed to be giving her good experiences so she can become the best at 'strategic public relations' in the world?"
"And you think your whispering in her ear and spending the night on a pool lounger together is giving her those experiences?" I bite out, not wanting to reveal how much I had observed, how much he thought he was getting away with but I have to make him see how inappropriate he is being.
"I do not need this lecture. There is nothing between Jade and I, and like you said, she's in love. Do you know who with?" Dave counters as if he can distract me.
"I wouldn't be lecturing you if you could be less obvious with your flirting and teasing that poor girl. I would like to invite her to become a permanent part of this team, but if you cannot be honest with yourself I don't think it would be fair to her. And you know it is not my place to talk about her love life."
"If you are okay with her dating another agent and not myself, I'm going to question our friendship, Aaron." Dave's eyes darken and he pulls his jacket closed and buttoning it. His demeanor is a mirror of his actions, closed off and cold.
"Dave, if she dated all the other agents in the bureau, simultaneously, she would still have less of a record than you do. Again, it is not my place to discuss her love life. If you ask her, I'm sure she will tell you. But maybe don't wait to call her until after last call."
"That is uncalled for and you know it. Morgan wanted to invite her, but his phone was dead that night. By the way, I informed the law enforcement of the latest names and location of Yates latest tip. Just before I came in here to this verbal assault, they returned the call and informed me they found the bones, and are working on confirming the identity and notifying the family."
"Good. I know it is a hard week for you, but it still does not excuse your leering behaviors for the last two months." I acknowledge, but Rossi is a grown man. He knows it is inappropriate and I need to get him to admit that, even if only to himself.
"Sometimes I wonder if we are even truly friends." Dave replies, letting out a huff of air. "Are you going to the gym tonight?" He finishes his pasta and wipes his face carefully.
"It's Thursday, isn't it?" I reply.
Dave stands up, throwing out the mess from the lunch and heading to the door just as Jade approached from the other side. He opens the door, sees her smiling, energetic face and he returns it with a scowl and saunters past, back to his own office.
*Piccolina mia = my sweet girl
Piccolina = sweet girl / sweetheart
"The wound is the place where the Light enters you" Rumi
